1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to rectangular box cartons that open by lifting a hinged top or cover panel and a blank for forming such a carton. More particularly, the present invention relates to a "flip-top" rectangular box carton in which the cover panel is connected to a closure panel that seals the carton. The cover panel also has endwall insertion panels that may be inserted in the endwalls but are not glued in position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cartons for ice creams and other frozen desserts generally are made in half-gallon sizes and in one of two shapes: round boxes or rectangular boxes. In the rectangular box shape, the carton usually comes in one of two styles. First, it may be formed from an unglued blank shaped on a mandrel, then glued at its four corners. The resulting open-top box is filled through the wide opening at the top, then the hood or cover is sealed around the upper perimeter of the box. This forms a large "flip top" opening for the customer, a carton configuration referred to as the "Kliklok" style structure, named for the machinery used to form and close the carton. Second, rectangular box cartons may be preglued along a glue flap at one long edge, then filled from a small end opening. In this case, the glue flap (along one of the long edges) of the carton acts as the opener or one of the end flaps is lifted to open the carton. The end flaps are usually locked by interlocking flap notches. While opening the carton at the glue flap gives a large "flip top" type opening, this opening cannot be easily reclosed. An opening at locked end flaps provides reclosing capability, but the smaller opening is less convenient for dipping.
The conventional equipment that locks the ends of rectangular cartons is fairly simple and has been in existence for many years (e.g., Anderson Model No. 555, made by APV Anderson Brothers Inc., 1303 Samuelson Road, Rockford, IL 61109). Many dairies have more than one such item of equipment in their plants. Recently, an inexpensive attachment that seals carton ends (primarily for tamper evidence) instead of locking them has also become available, but no adapter yet exists that permits the older, equipment augmented by the end sealer to make a reclosable flip top carton of the first style discussed above. New equipment that can both form flip-top cartons and also seal the ends is available but costly; it currently requires completely replacing the older equipment that is in the dairy and therefore involves a considerable investment. Often dairies are not in a position to replace their efficient, simple machines with the more expensive, complex ones, strictly to have carton ends glued and to provide a flip top opening for dispensing the ice cream or other product.
Accordingly, what is needed to improve the prior art is a carton design processable on conventional packaging equipment with end flaps and glue flaps configured to allow the customer to easily open the carton and to dispense ice cream through a flip-top closure. In addition, it is desirable to be able to seal the ends of any such new carton by utilizing an economical sealing attachment with the conventional end-locking rectangular carton packaging equipment. Such equipment characteristically folds end flaps in the following order: bottom, top, back, front (carton viewed in normal position for flipping top open).